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Slipping Away.

I love analogies. They seem to make real life situations more understandable (for me at least). With that in mind, let me give you some idea of my day-to-day grind, using this simple analogy.

In my hand I hold 3 balloons which represent 3 different futures for our family. Each morning, I get up, untie them from the night stand and carry them with me. All day I hold those balloons and ponder which one we will be left with.

One balloon represents the current. It’s a balloon we know well. It’s familiar.

One balloon represents a dream we’ve been chasing. It’s our favorite.

One balloon represents a complete unknown.

Each day the winds of change blow and I can feel the dream balloon slipping from my hands. I want so desperately to hold it but the other two need attention too. If I let them go and the dream goes too, I’m left with nothing.

If I let go of the dream balloon and keep the current, I don’t know how long it will last. I’ve had it a long time and am highly concerned about it’s ability to sustain. It’s been a great balloon, but nothing lasts forever.

If I hang onto the unknown balloon while the dream and current slip away, there could be real danger. It’s completely unknown. It could have a short shelf life.

The reality is that my hand is tired. I’ve held these balloons for a long time and they feel like they are slipping away. With each passing day, the tension in my grip gets a little less strong. It’s breaking down. It’s weakening. Only the future will tell which one, if any of these remains. One thing is for sure….

Thanks David. You are my most consistent commenter! My wife and I talked about this when I shared the analogy with her. She had the same thought. I’m not sure how to express it, but there are some things which require a physical response on our end that Christ cannot do. We can give the fear or worry to Him, but the act and day-to-day activity must be done by us. Not sure if that makes sense but you are correct in reminding me that the fear and concern should be held by Him.

Thanks. Seems at this point in my on-line life it is easier for me to respond to posts rather than create them. I’ve followed your blog since the beginning and have enjoyed watching it evolve. Plus, I’ve always felt a kindred spirit working here.

Always my friend. Always. There have been low level discussions of getting some of the AC180 band back together in some form or another in a new site. We could relaunch the old one but, wow, it’s a pretty heavy archive. I’d almost prefer to leave it preserved should we ever start something new. Too many plates in the air for me right now. Stay tuned though. Appreciate you my friend.

Hello! I absolutely love your analogy! So true to life. I write and perform music and I was wondering if it would be OK if I could make your analogy into a song to perform with my band. Thanks so much for creating such beautiful words!